Fenestrations of the aortic and pulmonary sigmoid valves. Anatomic study
Penther, P.; Boschat, J.; Blanc, J.J.; Brière, J.
Archives des Maladies du Coeur et des Vaisseaux 73(12): 1447-1454
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9683 PMID: 6779733 Document Number: 159929
Fenestration of the aortic and pulmonary valve cusps were investigated systematically in 234 post-mortem examinations of 104 males (average age 67 yr) and 130 females (average age 73 yr); they were found in 75 cases (32%) in identical proportions in the 2 sexes. Fenestration of the pulmonary valve cusps is more common than that of aortic valve cusps in both sexes, but aortic cup fenestration was more common in males (P < 0.02). Isolated pulmonary valve fenestration was more common than isolated aortic valve fenestration (P < 0.03), and more so in females (P < 0.02). The association of aortic and pulmonary cusp fenestration was more common in males (P < 0.02). Age and cardiac disease causing death did not appear to be related to the presence of aortic cusp fenestration. The weight of the heart, the dimensions of the aortic and pulmonary valve rings and anomalies of the coronary artery trajectories were unrelated to the presence of fenestration except in the case of isolated ostium of the pulmonary canal artery, which was more common in the control group (P < 0.05). The number and size of the fenestrations were variable; when isolated they were usually located on the posterior aortic or the left posterior pulmonary cusp. When diffuse the 3 cusps of both valves were usually involved. They were located above the line of closure of the valves in all cases. They never caused anatomically identifiable pulmonary regurgitation. In isolation they did not appear to be capable of giving rise to aortic regurgitation which would require another factor (fibrous retraction of the cusps, dilatation of the aortic ring or cusp prolapse).